FACTORS AFFECTING THE HEALTH OF PUPPIES Rick Kesler, DVM Scientific Services Veterinarian I Royal Canin USA When puppies are born many of their systems are still quite immature forcing them to rely on both their mother and the environment for survival. As breeders, we are in a unique position because we have a responsibility to intervene when necessary to help ensure that the puppies born under our watch reach the age where we have the privilege of sending them on to a new life in their forever home. While the majority of puppies are healthy, every breeder will find themselves in a situation when they are faced with a sick or struggling puppy. When this happens, breeders try to diagnose and medically treat the ailments they’ve determined based on the signs or symptoms they’ve observed. In the past when very young puppies were sick it was suspected that there was an underlying genetic disease but more often than not that was an educated guess at best. When this happens, your veterinarian is a vital partner. GENETIC TESTING Fortunately with the advancements of science today, veterinarians have a variety of tools that diagnose a wide array of genetic diseases that can affect any breed. The observations and feedback of breeders have played a fundamental role in the development of many of these tests and that is something this community should take pride in. Accurate pedigree analysis is a vital element that enables breeders to determine the mode of inheritance of a disease. Once the disease has been accurately diagnosed, it can lead down the path to a genetic test. Many diseases that affect puppies spark the interest of breeders because they are caused by more than one gene mutation, ultimately making them more difficult to map. Adding to the difficulty is the appearance of a disease can be altered by factors such as nutrition, exercise or trauma. Some genetic diseases show up early in life and in a variety of ways. Cryptorchid puppies are a great example. This is a condition breeders commonly deal with. That being said, this condition can affect one testis (or testicle) or both. The testes may be found in the abdomen or near their intended position in the scrotal sac. Meanwhile, there are other diseases that only manifest clinical signs much later in life. Genetic testing is a tool that should be supported by breeders to reduce the incidence of disease in our selected breeds. To learn more about genetic testing visit the Royal Canin ® Genetic Health Analysis ™ website at http://www.royalcaningha.com/. This test scans your dog’s DNA, both for ancestry information and specific genetic marks. Your veterinarian can use this information to create a custom health and wellness plan based on your dog’s genetic code. KENNEL MANAGEMENT In a breeding kennel, the location where adult dogs live and puppies are whelped is of paramount importance. Proper kennel management and the practice of standard hygiene protocols are primary factors that influence the overall health and well-being of puppies. For the purpose of this article, references to a kennel will be the area where the mother and puppies are located. Temperature, humidity and ventilation levels are often overlooked as important risk factors of disease. Vaccination procedures also fall into the category of kennel management. Another key factor to determine is the timing of routine worming for the mother and her puppies. Parasite screenings are critical to keeping puppies healthy because parasites such as coccidia and giardia often play an underlying role in diseases seen in puppies. One primary everything you find on the internet to be true and I’ve found that common saying to be rather accurate in this case specifically. Breeders must look at nutrition as more than just the cheap or expensive pet food they feed their dogs. It should be considered the fuel that allows a pregnant bitch to thrive during pregnancy and lactation translating into more healthy litters. Breeders must remember that precise nutrition is so much more than simply ingredients that you see listed on a pet food label but rather nutrients that are absorbed and delivered to the body to promote a puppy’s survival and growth stages. Nutrients provide the energy for the functions the body performs on a daily basis. Too often in the breeding world, it is believed that just adding “more” replaces proper nutrition. This is simply not true. I’d like to take this opportunity to provide a few examples of how precise nutrition can affect the health of puppies that are especially relevant in the breeder community. Folic acid is a B vitamin that is an essential component of DNA and therefore essential for all cells involved in reproductive processes and growth. In the early stage of development in puppies, called embryogenesis, rapid cell division occurs that requires increasing amounts of folic acid. A folic acid deficiency has been shown to play a role in the development of spinal bifida, a neural tube malformation, and cleft palates, a more common birth defect that is often associated with certain brachycephalic breeds. Raising healthy puppies is the goal of every breeder. By developing a firm understanding of the primary factors that can impact the health of puppies more closely, breeders are in better position to reach that goal. factor that is often overlooked and should be considered a serious component of kennel management is how breeders disinfect the area in which the dogs live. Neonates and older puppies have different needs but are both susceptible and at risk for disease nonetheless. A comprehensive understanding of all of the factors that fall under kennel management mentioned above will allow you to more effectively promote the health and welfare of the puppies born in your kennel. NUTRITION Another factor that is often not taken into consideration by breeders is nutrition. Recognizing the imperative role of proper nutrition and how it has a significant impact on puppies as well as adult dogs is important. Too often in today’s world nutrition is either an afterthought or seems to be acquired knowledge that was found on the internet. Remember – you cannot believe